five times viktor talked about marriage
by WinglessCrows
Summary: one time yuuri did You don't just propose to someone without knowing that you want the same thing. Luckily for Yuuri, Viktor is not subtle about what he wants.
1. of horrors, romcoms and shitty proposals

**The idea for this story kept me awake one night, and I have been itching to write it ever since.**

 **The story will take place between episode 4 and 10**

* * *

 **I.**

The first time Viktor brought up marriage, Yuuri didn't even consider that he could be the one marrying Viktor. He wasn't even sure Viktor was quite thinking that either at the time.

The first week of July saw the only rink in Hasetsu closed for maintenance, and though Viktor could easily have made Yuuri go through a series of non-skating related exercises, he decided that it would be better to take the week off completely. _Everyone needs a break now and then,_ he had said and who was Yuuri to argue with that? Although Viktor had tried to ask Yuuri what he would like to do, Viktor's wishes ended up being their main priority. Despite having been in the country many times before, it had always been in relation to a competition, and never before had he been away from the bigger cities. And naturally he was excited about experiencing the culture, and though he explained it by wanting to _learn more about Yuuri,_ the way his eyes shone, told Yuuri that he was equally excited about just getting to learn about this foreign culture that he had already come to love in the few months he had been living here.

Every day was a new adventure. Hasetsu wasn't very big, and Viktor had already been in many of the notable places, so the found themselves going to neighbouring towns, and even took a two day trip to Fukuoka to experience some of the life there. For Yuuri, it was great not just to have a small break from the intense training Viktor put him through everyday, but it was a great opportunity to learn more about Viktor, and for the two of them to get closer. Though they had lived together for more than two months, calling Viktor a friend was still a conscious effort. It was perhaps easier for Viktor to call Yuuri a friend, because Viktor hadn't spend half of his life time looking up to Yuuri. But without the coach-skater structure, without the competitive environment, without the posters and the ice rink, simply being friends was a whole lot easier, and it wasn't even halfway through the week that Yuuri felt the last pieces of the barrier between them crumble away.

On the very last day of their break, they went to a small neighbouring town. There weren't any sights left to see, and they mostly spent the day going into some small local shops, eating street food and enjoying some sugary drinks in a café that had a couple of cats roaming around inside of it. It was one of those things where Yuuri couldn't quite tell if this would be considered a date or not, because he had definitely had days like this with Phichit, where they'd just have fun and relax for a day, but Yuuri's mind also drifted back to when he was sixteen, in high school and asked Yuko out. He didn't directly ask her out on a date, but that was how he considered it, and honestly, it had been quite like this (except a little more awkward because Yuuri had had a very obvious crush on her, and although Yuuri had definitely had more than one inappropriate thought about Viktor, he wasn't actually sure how he felt about him). And it wasn't like they were holding hands or sharing drinks and desserts, but there was something about this whole thing that felt like it wasn't quite platonic, and Yuuri wasn't sure if he was the only feeling like that. He still found it hard to read Viktor (not that he was particularly skilled at reading people to begin with).

But what really made this feel more like a date than a platonic outing was when they decided to go to the cinema and, although cinemas weren't inherently romantic, there was something about going with someone you could potentially be crushing on (again, Yuuri wasn't quite sure what he was feeling since, yeah, Viktor was objectively so good looking it should be illegal, but he was also a genuinely nice person who could look at Yuuri in a certain way and make his heart skip a beat), especially when the cinema was small and mostly empty, making the atmosphere inherently more intimate than if they had been in a crowded city where quiet was nowhere to found.

The cinema was so small, in fact, that it only showed three movies (four if you counted the Japanese historical drama, but Viktor's Japanese was not quite good enough for that).

"I'm usually up for anything," Viktor said rather innocently, as if the obvious innuendo was completely lost on him, "But I'd prefer to not watch a horror movie."

Curious about the stated preference - because, quite as he said, he was usually up for anything - Yuuri could not let the comment slide.

"You don't like scary movies?" There was a bit of a teasing tone present in Yuuri's question, but it was mostly the curiosity that Viktor seemed to pick up on.

Viktor had a weird look in his eyes, but answered the question nonetheless, "I wouldn't say I dislike them, but my experience tells me that I'll have quite the reaction to the jump scares, and I've kind of… promised myself that I'd only watch horror movies with someone I was dating."

Yuuri looked at Viktor for a moment, before trying to fight the laughter and letting out little giggles as a result. When Viktor looked at him for an explanation, Yuuri could only say that he always knew that Viktor was definitely the romantic type, and the slight blush on Viktor's face really made his day.

"Well," Yuuri continued when he'd finally regained his composure, "I'm not huge on sci-fi movies, so let's just go with this… romantic comedy?"

"I'm sure it will be fun," Viktor smiled and secured them the tickets and some popcorn.

As it turned out, they were the only people watching the movie, which meant that they were under no obligation to stay quiet during the movie.

The fact that the two of them lived in a world of tacky costumes as part of their profession (even though they'd both argue that they had never once worn anything tacky) and the main character of this rom-com was a fashion designer, really brought out both the worst and the best in them. It all started with an innocent comment from Viktor, when the main character showed up to work in a pink suit, but wearing green heels, and he muttered under his breath: _ugly,_ and Yuuri burst out laughing and agreed. Despite the focus Yuuri had on the movie, he would never be able to give people a summary of the plot as the two of them mainly treated it as a fashion show. Yuuri would be able to give a very detailed summary of all of the outfits worn in the movie, though, as if that would ever be important to know.

But inevitably the main character found the love of her life, and when the big proposal happened during a party celebrating something related to her career (honestly Yuuri could only tell you that she had been between an ugly outfit and a slightly less ugly outfit, when deciding what to wear for the event, the event itself being a mystery to him), Viktor commented on something that was not her ugly outfit.

"I'd hate a proposal like this," he said, almost off-handedly, and Yuuri soaked in the scene before them, before asking for Viktor to elaborate.

"Too public?"

"Yeah," Viktor nodded, "I mean, I wouldn't mind people being around, but to get everyone's attention like that. It feels more like he is showing off rather than make this about them, you know? There is no intimacy."

"I see," Yuuri hummed and focused his gaze on Viktor, who quickly noticed and saw as Yuuri's smile widened.

"What?" He asked, and Yuuri looked back to the screen.

"Nothing," he said innocently, "It's just nice to know exactly how much of a romantic you are."

"Shut up," Viktor replied playfully, and Yuuri laughed again.

"Yes, coach."

Of course, their light banter did not stop them from continuing their kind of fashion critique and kind of proposal discussion as the guy whipped out diamond ring.

"Ugly," they both said at the same time, and laughed again, but Yuuri needed to take the opportunity the moment had created.

"Not romantic enough for diamond rings?" He teased and Viktor shook his head, but answered anyway.

"They can be nice, but they are impractical and just not my style."

"Because it's not gold?" Yuuri asked quickly and when Viktor deliberately did not answer, Yuuri cracked another smile. The information might be useless, but in the one in a million chance that he'd end up proposing to the man beside him, Yuuri knew what not to do.

(Later, he would also know exactly what to do)

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 **come say hi to me on tumblr: winglesscrows**


	2. hot in more ways than one

**II.**

he second time Viktor mentioned marriage was only two weeks after their short break. They were at the beach, as they so often were, although this time it was for training. There really was nothing quite as hellish as running laps under the scorching sun on pillows of soft sand. Especially when your coach was sitting in the cool shade with a fan, a cold drink, and an adorable poodle in his lap, telling you to run faster. But that was what Yuuri had to live through, and if he wanted to not just make it to Finals, but win it as well, he had to listen to his coach. Viktor probably had a good reason for making him do this, even when the wonderfully cool ice rink would have provided Yuuri with much more happiness.

Yuuri gave up on wearing a shirt very quickly and threw it to the side as he passed Viktor for the third time, running back and forth to remain within Viktor's sight. He could feel himself growing tired quicker than usual, and although the nice shade of the tree Viktor was enjoying was quite tempting, Yuuri was determined to keep going. Viktor would tell him when it was time to rest, so Yuuri dug his feet into the sand, feeling it give away under him and fought with every step to move forward without falling.

Though Yuuri had long since lost track of time, it did feel like a whole day had gone by when Viktor finally allowed him a break, and Yuuri promptly collapsed in the shade beside his coach, weakly grabbing a cool drink of water, only managing to drink about half of it before he decided to pour the rest on his overheated body. Feeling about five percent better, Yuuri rolled onto his back and let himself relax.

"Just fifteen minutes, okay?" Viktor said, the almost repressed laughter clear in his voice, and Yuuri let out a deep sigh.

"Yes, coach."

Yuuri looked at Viktor from his place on the ground. There were small specs of light escaping the shade of the tree dancing on across Viktor's skin. He wasn't wearing much (why would he? He was a Russian in the middle of a warm summer in Hasetsu), just a loose v-neck t-shirt and some swimming short, which Yuuri were certain he'd make full use of later, both of which Yuuri was completely sure weren't some designer brand, even if that was what Yuuri would have expected of him.

There were small drops of sweat glistening on his exposed skin, and with his serene face and soft, white hair blowing lightly in breeze, he looked more like a fairy than a human. Yuuri had often heard Viktor described as some otherworldly beauty, but not before now had he truly understood what that meant. Because Viktor was always beautiful, always so untouchably beautiful, but right now, he looked more beautiful than Yuuri had ever seen him, and still unsure of his feelings, Yuuri explained the heat in his face away by reminding himself of the warm summer.

"I've always loved the beach," Viktor said and closed his eyes as a light breeze swept over them, Viktor's hair dancing in the wind before falling perfectly back into place as the wind stilled.

"Yes," Yuuri said, dazed, "You've mentioned that." Another silence fell upon them, and Yuuri closed his eyes, letting his body rest as he enjoyed this quiet moment.

"It's beautiful here," Viktor continued after awhile, "I loved it in spring too. With the cherry blossoms."

Yuuri slowly opened his eyes again, and looked up at the cherry tree they were resting under. The leaves were a deep green, giving the impression of summer, but no one really paid attention to the cherry trees when they weren't carrying their pink petals. They simply seemed to blend in with everything else, becoming ordinary trees that stood waiting for spring to come again.

"That is when it's most beautiful," Yuuri agreed, and was about to close his eyes again, when Viktor responded.

"Hmm~" He mused, "I think it's just as beautiful now."

Yuuri let out a light chuckle, "You'd be the only one."

"Has anyone ever gotten married here?" Viktor asked as if that was the natural progression of the conversation. However, by now, Yuuri was used to Viktor bringing up unexpected topics, so it didn't really faze him.

"Maybe," he said, not knowing the answer, "Thinking about getting married here?" Yuuri asked without really thinking about what he was saying.

"I just thought it'd be a beautiful place for a wedding," Viktor mused without really answering the question.

"Well, you're a romantic after all," Yuuri teased lightly, "I can just imagine it. Under the pink cherry blossoms with the seabreeze messing up your carefully styled hair, you marry someone who's almost as pretty as you. All of the guests complain about getting sand in the eyes-"

"You think I'm pretty?" Viktor interrupted, sounding like he was in disbelief, even though Yuuri knew that couldn't be right.

"You're kidding right?" Yuuri said, and propped himself up using his elbows, "You've been voted _most beautiful athlete_ three years in a row, and made the top ten ever since you turned eighteen. Just because I use glasses, doesn't mean I'm blind."

If it wasn't because of the heat, Yuuri would have thought Viktor was blushing, but he retorted quickly so there was no way of knowing.

"It's just a list," Viktor argued as if they were fighting, "And it's clearly not accurate, since you've never made it." Viktor muttered the last part as if he was almost regretting saying it out loud, but Yuuri was too strung up on the fact that there was clearly something wrong with Viktor's eyes.

"Why would I ever make the list?" Yuuri asked in genuine disbelief, "I'm the epitome of plain."

"Well, I think you're beautiful."

Neither Viktor nor Yuuri even had time to think about what had just been said, before Yuuri put his glasses on him, and looked him in the eyes.

"There," he said, "Maybe your eyes will work now."

Viktor squinted through the glasses, the blue in his eyes seeming brighter than before, but eventually he had to admit defeat: "I can't see," he said and Yuuri laughed as he took back his glasses, having completely forgotten what Viktor had said just seconds before.

"That's what you get for being weird. Perhaps the heat is messing up your brain," Yuuri teased, and completely missed the blush that was definitely deepening on Viktor's face as the conversation continued. He quickly hid his face in the fur of his poodle who had awoken due to the commotion caused by the two of them.

A alarm went off on Viktor's phone which was sat between then, signalling the end of Yuuri's break, which he had promptly wasted by making fun of Viktor. Yuuri didn't need to be told to start running, and merely set off into the scorching heat, leaving behind a flustered coach, who was wondering how to change up his flirting tactics.

* * *

 **I'd like to think that Viktor was having a bit of a crisis with how hot Yuuri was looking in this chapter ;)**


	3. owls may be cute but not quite like you

The third time Viktor mentioned marriage, it was late August. Yuuri and Viktor found themselves in Tokyo, having just finished up an intense week of ice shows, and to wind down, Viktor had decided to stay in the city for a couple of days. Though Viktor said it was to take Yuuri's mind off of skating before the season truly began, Yuuri was certain that Viktor just liked the city and all the things it had to offer.

Tokyo was generally a little too busy for Yuuri, but the tourism wasn't as bad as during the cherry blossom season or even the middle of summer. Still, the city was crowded, and Viktor could hardly go ten minutes without someone recognizing him. Even Yuuri had signed so many notebooks and napkins that his hand was starting to hurt.

"Let's go to a café," Viktor suggested and Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief. A café would give them a break from fans and just people in general, which Yuuri found that he desperately needed.

"Yeah, let's-" Yuuri stopped in his tracks as he saw the glint in Viktor's eyes, and looked around to locate the cafë that had caught Viktor's attention. It wasn't particularly difficult.

"Please," Viktor begged, as if Yuuri was ever going to say no to him, and Yuuri could only sigh at his antics.

"At least owls are cute," he said, while Viktor lit up and proceeded to drag Yuuri into the café. Though he no longer got shocked by how quick Viktor was to grab and hold his hand, Yuuri still had to suppress his blush before Viktor would inevitably turn around to look at him.

In the beginning, it had been easy for Yuuri to ignore his little crush on Viktor, and Yuuri had thought that the more he got to know the real Viktor - because the person he had read about and looked up to for more than ten years was very clearly a much different person than the one currently holding his hand - the less likely he was to fall for him. He had thought that Viktor, his idol, was perfect. He had little to no flaws, he was kind and chivalrous, desired and loved by everyone, including Yuuri, and surely no one, not even Viktor himself, could live up to that. And yet the real Viktor, the one who wasn't perfect, the one who tripped over his own feet with zero grace of a figure skater, the one who would expect unrealistic things from Yuuri in practice and be less than kind when he failed, the one who collected his favorite book in all the world's languages even if he couldn't read them, _that_ Viktor was even more endearing than Yuuri's idol.

To Yuuri, it felt like the more flaws and quirks he discovered, the more he preferred the real Viktor. The Viktor no one really knew. And Yuuri knew that that too was a part of it. The fact that Viktor was so open with him and not with anyone else (that Yuuri knew of). It made Yuuri feel special. Like he was unique and perhaps even had a chance. And the thought that his feelings for Viktor weren't completely one-sided had crossed his mind quite a few times by now.

Viktor was not a very flirty person by nature, nor really with anyone who wasn't Yuuri. He was charming and charismatic sure, but there was something different about it when he interacted with Yuuri (he had thought before that it was merely because he was on the receiving end of it that he felt that it was different, but after both Yuko and Minako had pointed it out to him, he had little else to hide behind). The biggest difference between Yuuri and everyone else was the touching. Yuuri had naturally assumed that it was just a part of Viktor's personality, especially since Yuuri had lived with Phichit for so long, who himself was a very tactile person. It had been easy to just put Viktor into that same category as his best friend. Until he had begun to pay attention.

Viktor was a bit of a paradox. He seemed to love physical contact, but unless it was Yuuri, he never initiated it. Thinking back, Viktor had never even hugged Yurio, even after his short program at Onsen on Ice, but he had embraced Yuuri plenty of times, despite the fact that he had known Yurio for much longer. While Viktor never seemed to shy away from any physical contact, unlike Yuuri, but he always kept a very respectful distance between him and practically everyone else. However, with Yuuri, he was always quick to close any distance between them. Even if he wasn't touching him, he was never more than an arm's reach recently, that had become part of Yuuri's normal. It had become so normal, that Yuuri would often find himself looking for Viktor when he wasn't near, feeling that his presence was missed.

Yuuri had spent many nights thinking about Viktor and himself and the idea of anything ever happening between them, and though he had never reached an answer, he had simply come to accept that he was head over heels for this beautiful man who had barged into his life.

Even as the two entered the café, Viktor never let go of Yuuri's hand. With a good grip on his emotions, Yuuri looked at Viktor who's attention was all on the animals in the café.

"You're very excited about this," Yuuri commented with a smile and Viktor turned to him, his eyes still shining.

"I always wanted to come here," he answered excitedly, and a light bulb went off in Yuuri's head.

"Always?" He questioned out loud, "You lead us here on purpose?"

Viktor turned away, a guilty smile on his face, "Maybe..."

"You could just have said that instead of leading me here without my knowledge or consent," Yuuri teased and a pout appeared on Viktor's face.

"What if I wanted to surprised you?" He sulked, "And I did give you a chance to say no."

"Well," Yuuri said smugly, "As I said, owls are cute."

For a moment, it looked like Viktor was about to give a comment, but a small blush appeared on his face, and he stayed silent. He was saved from Yuuri's probing when someone directed them to a table.

In true Viktor fashion, everything was documented. Though nothing was posted on social media yet (to prevent fans tracking them down), it would certainly make it there eventually, and just like with every other post Viktor made lately, people would wonder if they were dating. Which, in all honesty, Yuuri thought was fair since he was wondering that exact same thing. He could say for certain that Viktor wasn't his boyfriend, but that wouldn't really stop them from going on dates and having a romantic interest in each other (this particular way of looking at their situation was by courtesy of Phichit who, with every passing skype call, was more and more surprised by the fact that they had yet to get together). Yuuri was often tempted to ask Viktor about his feelings, but he could never seem to find the courage. Perhaps… today…

Of course, Yuuri easily got distracted by Viktor's beautiful smile and his melodic laughter, and was pulled into a conversation about nothing and everything, the question about them never once crossing his mind as he merely enjoyed their time together. They were almost done with their drinks, when a look from Viktor had Yuuri pay closer attention, feeling a change of topic coming.

"Have you thought about the future?" He asked slowly, and Yuuri thought about it for a while before Viktor elaborated, "After skating, I mean."

Now, because Yuuri's brain worked as perfectly as it did, instead of thinking of an answer, he thought of why Viktor had asked the question. The obvious correlation was obviously Viktor's current situation. Regardless of when he timed his inevitable comeback, he couldn't keep skating forever, even if Yuuri wanted him to. Yuuri had always thought that Viktor would want to end his career after the Olympics in PyeongChang, and that was still some time in the future, though clearly not as far that Viktor could easily ignore thoughts about what to do afterwards. But still, Yuuri highly doubted that Viktor was going to ask for advice or anything of the sort. And things like money or opportunities outside of skating would not be things Viktor would need to worry about anyway, so the reason for the question would probably be deeper than what Yuuri could quickly deduce.

After a while, Yuuri decided that he must have been silent for too long and gave an answer that probably wasn't very satisfying: "Honestly, I try not to think about it too much, but part of the reason I went to college was to have a back-up in case skating didn't work out."

Viktor seemed to think about the answer for a bit, before moving onto what was perhaps the real point of the conversation.

"Do you want to get married?" He asked slowly, "Settle down, maybe have some kids?" The question was asked casually, but Yuuri felt that his answer would hold a lot of weight.

"Yes," Yuuri said without hesitation, "I..." Yuuri trailed off, not really knowing how to continue without blushing furiously at the simple thought of marrying Vikor, but Yuuri was allowed to sort out his thoughts, while Viktor patiently waited for him to finish answering.

"Being so focused on skating, I've never really given much thought to anything else, but as far as marriage goes, I would say rather than thinking of wanting it, it never occured to me that it wouldn't be in my future. Hopefully," he added the last part slowly, and looked at Viktor who seemed to be considering the answer. There was no point in Yuuri asking Viktor about his opinion, since Viktor had shared those with him many months ago.

"If..." Viktor began again, but then, for the first time, seemed unsure of how to continue and took a few seconds to find the right words, "If you fell in love with someone who wouldn't want to marry… would you be upset?"

Once again, Yuuri contemplated the reason for the question. If Viktor liked Yuuri, it wouldn't matter because Viktor very clearly wanted to get married. And if he didn't like Yuuri, then he had nothing personal to gain or lose from the answer. In the end, it didn't matter. All Yuuri needed to do was to be honest.

"Well," he said, "I suppose it would depend on the circumstance, but if someone I liked knew that I would want to get married, and they still wouldn't, then, I'd say that unless they are doing it to hurt me, I would respect their wishes." Viktor's expression was impossible to read, and Yuuri was quick to take his chance and added: "But I doubt that will be an issue."

Viktor looked at Yuuri for a less than a second before pretending to get distracted by an owl and hiding a blush. And that really gave Yuuri all the information he needed. He didn't have to go out of his way to win Viktor's heart. They could take their time and slowly develop what they had.

But Yuuri having confirmed that Viktor's feelings for him were not a fantasy, a brand new set of thoughts began to fill Yuuri's head, while the butterflies in his stomach seemed to grow. With their conversation, Yuuri couldn't stop thinking about marriage, and the pure thought at actually marrying Viktor someday. Viktor had dropped an extraordinary amount of hints as to what he wanted from a proposal and a wedding, and Yuuri was quite determined to act on it, because Viktor deserved to get what he wanted. Though, that was for the future, for now, Yuuri settled for taking Viktor's hand as they left the café.

* * *

Omake:

"What if I wanted to surprised you?" Viktor sulked, always letting Yuuri tease him to no end, "And I did give you a chance to say no."

"Well," Yuuri said smugly, and Viktor wondered how he had fallen so in love with him, yet he really didn't want it any other way "As I said, owls are cute."

 _Not as cute as you,_ Viktor immediately thought as he looked at Yuuri, and felt his face heat up, not knowing why the words were stuck in his throat when a few months ago, it would have been easy to tell Yuuri how beautiful he was. But it had been harder, lately, to flirt with Yuuri, because all of a sudden, Yuuri was flirting back and all Viktor could do was hide his blush.


	4. timing is all so let's take it slow

The fourth time Viktor mentioned marriage, he made clear that Yuuri was the one he wanted to marry.

It was after the gala, the banquet and all its formalities that the two of them returned to the hotel room in Beijing. Though they had separate rooms, Yuuri didn't hesitate in following Viktor into his room, and as soon as the door closed behind them, he leaned up for a kiss which was readily given. Whether it was the lack of sleep or just Viktor himself, the kiss felt all too natural, even though it was only their second kiss.

There was a light blush covering Viktor's cheeks as they pulled apart, and it made Yuuri smile because his boyfriend was adorable. Boyfriend! Yuuri felt all giddy thinking of Viktor like that.

However, they needed to talk. Their relationship was complicated enough before, but now that they were actually together, they should probably figure out how everything would work. In the midst of the season - in the busy grand prix series no less - things like dates and getaways were probably not plausible in the foreseeable future.

They climbed onto Viktor's bed and held hands as they faced each other, just the simple gesture making everything feel much more real. As Yuuri looked at Viktor, he found that he looked about ten times as flustered as Yuuri felt, which was likely a result of all of his emotions suddenly overflowing - which they surely were considering he had tackled Yuuri with a kiss in the most public manner thinkable.

"Is this okay?" Viktor asked carefully as he squeezed Yuuri's hand, and Yuuri smiled at him.

"Yes," he replied softly and squeezed back, and Viktor seemed to lighten up a little bit. Viktor had probably waited longer than Yuuri for something to happen, so Yuuri understood that small things made Viktor very happy, while at the same time, Viktor would be more hesitant to begin the development of their relationship in fear of messing up. Yuuri felt that he never could, but until Viktor came to the same conclusion, Yuuri wouldn't mind taking Viktor's hand and fulfill all his dreams and wishes.

"I..." Viktor began, "I want you to know, I'm very serious about this." Viktor had a determined look in his eyes as he spoke, and Yuuri figured that he had probably thought a lot about what to say today. Whether it was to keep Yuuri from worrying or because because Viktor knew of all the rumours surrounding his dating life (of which Yuuri still knew very little), he didn't know, but still he appreciated that Viktor had taken the time to say it. Yuuri had never had any worries about Viktor's commitment, seeing as Viktor had been anything but subtle in his advance, but also the fact that he had become close with Yuuri's friends and family, while Yuuri had been allowed to bond with Makkachin. Viktor had been committed to Yuuri from the moment he arrived in Japan (even if that had just been as a coach) and that commitment, though perhaps changed in nature, had only become stronger. Yuuri had never even had a reason to doubt Viktor's genuineness in this moment.

"I love you," Viktor said, his blushing deepening and his speech becoming more rushed as he continued, "And I don't think I'll ever stop loving you, and I want to marry you, and..." Viktor stopped quickly, realizing that he might be rushing too far ahead, and looked Yuuri in the eyes to see his reaction, while Yuuri was merely taking in Viktor's words.

"I love you too," Yuuri said, still looking sweetly at Viktor, who seemed to relax a little as Yuuri spoke. The fact that Viktor's usual confidence wasn't currently present seemed to give Yuuri the courage to speak openly and honestly without shying away in the slightest. "I'd really love to take you out," Yuuri said, slowly moving onto the topic that needed to be discussed, yet still slightly distracted by this beautiful mess of a man before him, "Since I'm beginning to realize how cute you are when you blush, but..."

"Yeah..." Viktor agreed, "I didn't time this too well."

Yuuri moved a little close and caressed Viktor's cheek, feeling him lean into his touch.

"It was going to happen sooner or later," he said, "I'd say now was a good a time as any."

Viktor closed his eyes, still resting into Yuuri's touch, and stayed like that for a while, savoring the quiet moment between them, until Viktor open up his wide, a look of a horrid realization suddenly on his face.

"That wasn't a proposal!" He said quickly, and Yuuri giggled.

"Don't worry," he laughed, "I didn't think it was," Yuuri assured him, and Viktor gave a sigh of relief. "I assume it's right back to practice after this," Yuuri picked up the conversation again.

"Well," Viktor said, his blush fading, "Unfortunately, I need to keep my promise and have you qualify for the Finals, and we still have much to work on if you want to win it too, but after that… well, let's see how busy we are."

"It's not like we're running out of time," Yuuri said and Viktor looked like he was melting.

Eventually, it became time for Yuuri to leave. He'd resist the temptation to sleep with Viktor until they had something more comfortable than a twin bed in a hotel room.

They shared their third sweet kiss as Yuuri bid Viktor goodnight, but Yuuri stopped at the door, looking softly at Viktor, "This may not have been a proposal," he said, "But you can tell me when you're ready."


	5. something round and gold

The fifth time Viktor mentioned marriage, it was really Yuuri's own fault, because his mouth went off on its own. Not that he didn't mean what he said, he had just hoped to say it, you know, not in an airport, where they were surrounded by hundreds of people who may or may not know who they were.

"It sounds like a proposal," Viktor had said, and yeah, it had, but Yuuri was surprised that Viktor had understood given their different cultures. And he was also surprised by how happy Viktor had sounded when he had said it. It hadn't been that long since China - only three weeks - but Viktor had already given the sign that he was ready. And weirdly Yuuri felt the same. Though they had taken their time getting together, they had been living together for much longer, and been together every single day since then, so it just felt like the natural next step.

Returning home from the airport, it was clear that Viktor had gotten very little sleep the past few days. As soon as they entered the cab for the final leg of their journey home, Viktor went out like a light, his hand holding Yuuri's and his head resting on Yuuri's shoulder.

"You really had us worried there," Yuuri said to Makkachin, who was resting by their feet, "Don't scare us like that again, okay?"

Makkachin shifted a little, snuggling closer to Yuuri, and Yuuri felt at home with the two of them close in a way he never really had before. He smiled and squeezed Viktor's hand. He needed a ring.

Yuuri blushed at the thought. He was going to propose to Viktor Nikiforov, and he was going to do it exactly as Viktor dreamed of, because he deserved no less. He needed to find a ring that was both gold and simple, yet still unique and special. An engravement of some sort would be ideal, but unfortunately Yuuri also had a budget to consider. Though he wouldn't mind spending millions of yen of Viktor, unfortunately, he didn't have that kind of money at his disposal.

Yuuri looked at the intertwined hands. Though it was tradition for the one proposed to getting a ring, Yuuri really wanted both of them to have one. In time apart - like the past few days - it would be nice to have a physical manifestation of their love, and it would let people know that Viktor wasn't just anybody's, but Yuuri's. Yuuri easily gave into his possessiveness when it came to Viktor, especially since Viktor himself seemed to love the feeling of being wanted so wholly, and while the pair rings would be an extension of that, there was no doubt in Yuuri's mind that Viktor would love for both of them to have rings too.

The finer details of when and where would be for later. Whether Yuuri proposed to Viktor tomorrow or next year was not of importance, only that it would happen and that it was both what they wanted.

* * *

"You're going to propose to Viktor?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations on your engagement."

"I haven't done it yet."

"Viktor won't say no," Chris laughed from the other end, while Yuuri was speaking in a hushed tone of voice from his bedroom, not wanting to wake Viktor or have him overhear any part of the conversation, "What do you need help with?"

"Ring size," Yuuri said, and blushed because saying his thoughts out loud made everything more real. Thankfully, Chris couldn't see him, "And, um, maybe a jewelry store recommendation?"

"Hm~" Chris hummed, "I don't know his ring size, but I can easily find it for you without Viktor knowing," Chris assured, "As for a store, have you tried looking at Maria Dolores?"

"I don't even know what that is," Yuuri confessed, jewelry shopping not exactly being his strong suit and Chris laughed again.

"Of course you don't," he said through laughs, "Well, look it up. I'm sure you'll find some inspiration at least."

"Okay thanks."

"No problem. See you at the Finals."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Viktor asked, skating closer to Yuuri who was supposedly taking a water break by the boards, and quickly closed the tab on his phone that had been open on Maria Dolores' homepage.

"Nothing," Yuuri answered as a guilty idiot.

"Hmm~" Viktor sang, clearly curious, "You looked like you were blushing though. Were you look of pictures of me?" Viktor's teasing flirtations had increased lately, and Yuuri responded slyly.

"Why would I need to look at pictures, when I have the real thing right here?" He teased back, and Viktor smiled before he swooped in for a quick kiss.

"You better not be keeping secrets from me," he said as he skated back onto the middle of the ice, Yuuri quickly putting his phone aside to follow him.

"I was just thinking of what to give you for Christmas," Yuuri lied effortlessly, catching up to Viktor, and they automatically began skating their joint version of Stammi Vicino.

"Is that so?" Viktor said as he spun Yuuri around, before pulling him back in, "And what were you thinking?"

Yuuri placed his hands on Viktor's hips and lifted him up, before answering, "Oh you know," he smiled, as Viktor's blades hit the ice once again, and the distance between them disappeared once again, "Something round and gold."


	6. alchohol, hotsprings and snowflakes

The day Yuuri brought up marriage was the day he proposed. It wasn't quite the proposal Yuuri had had in mind, but it had still been pretty perfect. Yuuri just counted himself lucky that the shop he had stumbled upon had carried the right rings.

But on top of the proposal had been the revelation of what had transpired the year before at the Final's banquet, which had put a whole new perspective on their relationship. As horrified as Yuuri had felt in the beginning, he was starting to find it at least mildly funny (he felt that if he didn't at least try to find it somewhat humorous, it would continue to haunt him), Viktor, on the other hand, was finding it less funny by the minute.

"I was naked..." he said in horror as he collapsed face first on their bed upon returning to the hotel room.

"You were in a hot spring," Yuuri responded as he put aside their many purchases.

"I didn't have to stand up..." he continued, still recalling his first day in Hasetsu, where it had clearly never occurred to him that Yuuri might not remember that very drunken night.

"You are very good looking though..." Yuuri said, thinking back to that day, where, sure, his first thought had definitely not been _wow Viktor is naked and so hot,_ but more _what the actual hell is this weird dream?_ Still, he had had those thoughts later. He was human after all and Viktor was very, very pretty.

"You must have been so confused..."

"Yeah, well, it worked out pretty well, wouldn't you say?"

"You're surprisingly okay with this," Viktor said, and lifted his face from the mattress just enough to turn it, so he could look at Yuuri a little better. Yuuri then sat down on the bed next to him, and began running his fingers through Viktor's hair, trying to soothe him just a little.

"It was shocking," he said, "But in the end, it gave me you, so there's no way it was a bad thing. Even if it was super embarrassing."

"At least you can blame it on alcohol," Viktor whined again, "I was just stupid."

"You were drunk on love," Yuuri teased and laid down next to Viktor, who now had a pout on his face. Yuuri took his hand, and kissed the ring, earning a light blush from Viktor.

"This wasn't what I expected when you said _something round and gold,_ " Viktor confessed, and Yuuri kissed his hand again.

"I thought you loved surprises," Yuuri teased and Viktor pouted again.

"I never said I didn't like it."

"You know," Yuuri said slowly, "You haven't even seen the best part."

Viktor looked at him in confusion, and Yuuri sat up, removed his ring and looked at Viktor who now looked a little alarmed, especially when Yuuri reached out his hand.

"Give me yours," Yuuri said, still teasing him a bit, but Viktor backed away slightly, putting his left hand protectively over the ring.

"Why?" He demanded with squinted eyes as if Yuuri was about to do something bad. Yuuri merely laughed.

"I promise it will be worth it. I'll put it on you again."

Viktor looked sceptic for a moment before he eventually gave in and handed Yuuri the ring, as he sat up properly, getting close to Yuuri so he could see what he was doing.

"Look," Yuuri said as he put the rings together and held them up to reveal the motive the created when brought together, "I wanted them to be a matching pair, and I thought that a snowflake would be perfect for us."

"It is," Viktor said slowly as he looked at the rings, "It's perfect."

"I know," Yuuri said softly and lowered the rings, putting his own back on before taking Viktor's hand.

A thought struck Yuuri as he held Viktor's hand, and he slid down to the floor, kneeling down before Viktor as he placed the ring on his finger.

"I didn't get to do this earlier," he said softly as he looked up at Viktor, who was blushing again.

"I love you," Viktor whispered and Yuuri rose up to kiss him.

"I love you too," he said softly, "I'll make sure to win that gold medal so we can get married."


End file.
